Very nice on the 63 Special! I've got a '61, purchased as my first car. I bought it as a both a project and daily driver, and so far its done pretty well as both, although I havent done much to it, because I want to finalize exactly what I want to do with it. Glad I got it then because I havent seen another '61 in such good shape since!
well I don't have a full Buick car, just a Buick 455 in my 78 trans am but I think I qualify p at first I put it in just because it was available, I took it from a really rusty 70 Riviera my dad owned. what I found out was that it's hard building a BBB but in the process and after being on this website day in and day out I really know much more about engines & how to build one. my next build might not be a Buick but at least I'd know how to go about it! what would make my day is finding an old Buick in GS in good shape ( which is a really hard find here) and swap in that mighty 455 then build maybe a BBC for my trans am. Nadim
To me, unique is a better word than just different. I'm 45 y/o, and always had an eye for classy cars, been truckin' cross country for 14 years, and been to several car shows, including the Good Guys Heartland Nat'ls in Des Moines for the last three consecutive years, and NEVER have seen a 63-65 Riviera before. I am now smitten and obsessed - I'll give it a little time, I'm sure that will be downgraded to enfatuated I'm looking 4ward to doing a frame-off on ol' girl (Proly gonna b on here alot asking "stupid" questions) God bless y'all!
i live down under and with a land full of aussie gms and fords its great to see people reactions when you say my ride is a 67 225 electra/you get a lot of what the hell and other comments i cant post/but it makes for a great conversation:beers2:
I got my first 72 skylark when I was 17 Im 35 now! Bought it from a teacher for $.50 & fell in love!! Wrecked it 2 yrs later & bought a 70 skylark! Sold that to a good friend of mine! 2 yrs later I bought another 72 & had it stolen (never found)! Waited 15 yrs to get another one, Finally picked it up @ 2 months ago!! HURRAY!!!:3gears:
I know this thread has been going for a while and I have resisted until now to confess my sin. I'm in my mid 50s and owned lots of cars, but never a Buick. I had been looking for a solid 70 to 72 Chevelle for a while (had one when I was younger (much younger). The solid ones were always too expensive and the reasonable priced ones were junk. I then ran across my 72 GS for sale. I originally bought it because it was more reasonably priced and (don't flame me yet) very similar to the Chevelle. Since I bought it, I am SO glad that I bought the Buick instead of the Chevy. Everything about the car is better than its GM counter part. Not only is the Buick a better product, I have also come to the conclusion that guys on this site are a better class of folks. Now that my secret is out, thanks to everyone on this site for helping to show me the light.
I bought my first Buick, a 1970 GS455 convertible in 1986 because of this article in May, 1983 Hot Rod. And I bought my GN in 1990 because of all the great write ups they had the GS-Xtra.
Never even knew buick made a muscle car, never heard of a gs or skylark, until I gave up on my nova and sold it, and subsequently found my rust bucket. Now I regret it because i've lost 10k+ right down the toilet on car projects since 2006 and all I've got to show is a rusty beat up, disasembled buick in my garage with no interior, a worn out trans and buick 350, worn out front end, you get the picture. That being said, I think 69 buicks are cool, and I've seen what mild 455 buick's can do, but honestly if I could turn back the clock with the knowledge I have now, I would have stuck it out and finished my sweet little blue 355 Nova and would be cruising this summer and trouncing kids in five liters. But hey this is the best car forum on the net, and I'm not just saying that, the amount of knowledge thats thrown around on this board is staggering, the chevy boards I used to frequent are nothing like this at all. Buick guys are definately the most friendly lot I've found yet, and I have aquired a lot of knowledge and parts thanks to people I've met on this board. Thanks especially to Koko, HilbornNailhead, standup69, Allgs, and both Mikes at TA performance. -Ryan
I've had many a GM Musclecar. The idea of the Buick was amongst the handful of cars I was looking for my last time out doing so.. But I remember how the "Spanking's" my GS Stage 1 Ragtop gave out to other unsuspecting "stock exhaust" Musclecars held dear to me. :3gears: Whenever I take my GS out now, it's always amongst the few if any Bigblock A body Buicks at a cruise night or show.... and folks seem to be endeared to it... Like: "Oh, I remember these" Besides that, when I found my current GS, it had Buckets & Console instead of a Bench, and wasn't Brown, Green or Gold!......not that there is anything wrong with that...lol :laugh:
My father's first real car after emigrating here was a '58 Buick, and I've loved them ever since. He had a number of Buicks when I was growing up, and they were always great reliable cars. I've had 25 old Buicks over the years, and each of them was a good car. I've always admired the powertrain, ride, and the creature comforts the cars have had. I've had a few other types, but they never quite lived up to expectations.
A '65 GTO convertible or a '66 Chevelle SS convertible is out of my price range. Found the next best thing in the form of '64 Skylark convertible that was in great shape and was affordable. It's not a desirable collector vehicle so I don't have to worry about modifying it and destroying it's value as a collectible.
I just love all the questions from people i see in my travels, and how many compliments i get. It seems to cheer people up and take them back to a good time in there life.
Dad paid $300 for it in 1970. He had never owned a Buick before that. He drove it as Daily transportation for 2 years. Then we restored it. 30years later we restored it again; (the first six pictures are the restoration from the 70's. The other color pictures are from 2010. the difference in color is due to the scanning of the older photos. The B&W is from a Columbus Ga. newspaper of the local show in 1976)
All I have to do is look around around me at the shows. Seeing who has the coolest Chevelle gets boring. Not to slight the cars,that's just what it seems like sometimes. Everyone that remembers the Gran Sports say the same thing without fail.Well almost without fail... "I never see these cars anymore"
Too funny. My Buick came from my grandmother too, my very first car love. When somebody totalled it (parked on the street) and I got a Celica, I looked under the hood and realized there's no room to do ANYTHING in there! Been wanting my old Buick back ever since....
There needs to be a choice: "Because it is so damn good looking!" That is why I bought my first 64 Special. I thought it was the best looking car I had ever seen.
Why do I own a Buick? I wanted a different Muscle car. I get this at shows "I didn't know Buick made a Muscle Car." and "Whats a Buick doing in this class?" And I have to tell them at the gate to the shows "It's a Muscle Car" or they will put it in with the stock class. At car shows I walk pass all the Chevys and Fords, I look for the rare and oddball cars! Fords and Chevys are like A**holes, everyone has one!!!
My best friend found the car and spent a ton of cash to get the body done. Then, just before paint, he moved on to another project and needed cash..I needed a car. I was going for practical, but I looked at the car. It "spoke" to me and promised to be good. It has upheld the bargain and I drive it nearly every day.
I still say almost 6 years later after I started this thread that the reason I like them is because they are different. It would have made things easier over the years to be into Chevies. Parts are easily found and cheaper when you find them. Chevy cars are everywhere for sale. HP is cheaper to obtain. People at car shows and at the track here where I live would pay more attention to a Chevy. BUT, I was never one to follow the common most used road! Us Buick owners are leaders and not followers.
